Alamo Portland and Roman Cement Company
San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Near this site in 1879, Englishman William Loyd discovered a blue argillaceous limestone believed to be a natural cement rock. Analysis by San Antonio druggist and chemist George H. Kalteyer confirmed the rock contained proper proportions of lime and clay to produce portland cement. Loyd and Kalteyer, along with other investors, organized the Alamo Portland and Roman Cement Company, which was chartered in January 1880. This, the first portland cement plant west of the Mississippi, began with on intermittent pot kiln. A second pot kiln was added in 1881, when the company name was changed to Alamo Cement Company. The tall stack Schoefer-type kiln was added in 1889. Cement from this plant was used in the construction of the State Capitol and the Driskill Hotel in Austin. Through the vision and leadership of Portland Cement pioneers Loyd, Kalteyer,and Charles Baumberger, who succeeded to the presidency following Kalteyer's death in 1897, the company flourished. In 1908 the plant relocated to a site later known as Cementville near Alamo Heights. The original quarry became the Japanese Sunken Gardens in Brackenridge Park. The kiln area was designated as Baumberger Plaza in 1944. (1991)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1879 an Englishman named William Loyd found a blue limestone near San Antonio, and chemist George Kalteyer confirmed it held the right balance of lime and clay to make portland cement. The partners chartered their company in 1880 and built what became the first portland cement plant west of the Mississippi, its early pot kilns later joined by a tall Schoefer-type kiln. Cement from the works went into landmarks like the Texas State Capitol and Austin's Driskill Hotel before the plant relocated in 1908.
Why it matters
This modest quarry launched the cement industry in the American West, supplying the material that literally built some of Texas's most enduring public buildings.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- San Antonio Museum of Art1.6 mi away · 200 West Jones Avenue, San Antonio
- Visitor's Center Museum2.2 mi away
- Artpace2.4 mi away · 445 North Main Avenue, San Antonio, TX
- San Antonio Fire Museum2.4 mi away · 801 East Houston Street
- Ralston Family Collections Center2.5 mi away
- Alamo Vistor Center and Museum (coming 2027)2.5 mi away
Attractions
- Japanese Tea Gardennearby
- Richard Friedrich Aquarium0.2 mi away
- Kiddie Park0.2 mi away · 3903 North Saint Mary's Street, San Antonio, TX
- San Antonio Zoo0.3 mi away · 3903 North Saint Mary's Street, San Antonio, TX
- Murchison Tower0.5 mi away
- Little Blue Hole0.8 mi away
Food & drink
- Bonham Exchange2.4 mi away · 411 Bonham
- La Vida Coffee & Drinks2.4 mi away · 106 Jefferson Street
- Texas de Brazil2.5 mi away · 313 East Houston Street, San Antonio
- Maddy McMurphy's Irish Sports Bar2.5 mi away · 420 East Houston Street, San Antonio, TX
- Voodoo Donut2.5 mi away
- Playland Pizza2.5 mi away
Places to stay
- Best Western Premier Historic Travelers Hotel Alamo/Riverwalk2.3 mi away
- Comfort Suites Alamo/River Walk2.4 mi away · 505 Live Oak Street, San Antonio, TX
- Residence Inn2.4 mi away
- Hampton2.4 mi away · 414 Bowie Street, San Antonio, TX
- Fairfield Inn2.4 mi away · 422 Bonham, San Antonio, TX
- SpringHill Suites2.4 mi away · 411 Bowie Street, San Antonio, TX
Places data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hours and details change — call ahead.
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Related people
- · William Loyd
- · George H. Kalteyer
- · Charles Baumberger
Themes & tags
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In 1880, as the Gilded Age industrialized the American economy, San Antonio investors incorporated the Alamo Roman and Portland Cement Company on this site — the first Portland cement plant west of the Mississippi and only the second in the nation. Cement mixed here helped raise the Texas State Capitol in Austin, until the local raw material ran out and the works closed in 1907. Notably, Mrs. Charles Baumberger, Sr. ran the business from 1880 until it shut down, a rare directing role for a woman in heavy industry of that era.
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